


Into eternity

by captainhurricane



Series: Right beside you [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, M/M, jk people still die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 15:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2073942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainhurricane/pseuds/captainhurricane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A peek through the seventh year, through Harry who didn't have to grow up unloved and through Sirius and Remus who had, after all, always had each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into eternity

**Author's Note:**

> I don't have to warn about DH-spoilers, do I?

"Absolutely not, you are not doing this alone, no matter what Dumbledore had said, that old-" Only lately does Sirius’ anger spring up anymore, age and love having brought up an immense maturity in him. Yet when his anger does light up, it is the righteous sort of rage that would make a lesser man shiver. Remus presses a hand against his back and gives him a look, frowning just a bit and shaking his head. He’s gone even greyer over the years, silvery strands almost more numerous than his pale brown ones. That look had brought Sirius down from his moods before and it works even now, Sirius grimacing and quieting down. Harry looks at them both, shifting. 

"I don’t- I don’t want to betray his faith in me," Harry says finally as the silence stretches on. It is stupid of him, maybe because while Dumbledore had certainly been lenient with him, had been kind and fatherly in his better days it had been Sirius and Remus who had given him a proper childhood and a loving home. Remus rubs Sirius’ back gently. 

"You’re still a child," Remus says. "I don’t wish to speak ill of the dead but Dumbledore should have certainly consulted us before hand." As always, his calmness is tinted with worry, the age-old scars tight on his pale skin. If everything else isn’t enough- Dumbledore getting killed, Harry ready to set on this insane journey-, it’s almost time for a full moon again and Severus Snape isn’t here to cook up the potion anymore. Remus slips his hand around Sirius’ elbow and gives it a squeeze. Harry shifts, still scrawny but now somehow with more visible strength in him. He is short for a sixteen-year-old but he holds his head high. Remus worries, his heart clenches painfully at the thought of sending this boy out there by himself. Sirius is trembling. 

"It has to be me," says Harry and he’s sorry, of course he’s sorry. He would be dead a long time ago without Dumbledore and the Wizarding World and without Sirius and Remus but this is bigger than him, way bigger. 

"And besides, maybe Ron and Hermione will come with me." That earns a tight little smile from Remus and twitch of the mouth from Sirius. 

"Of course they will. You’re a brave boy, Harry but sometimes you can be really dimwitted," Sirius huffs and reaches to ruffle Harry’s hair. Harry doesn’t swat him away instead steps forward for a hug. Sirius smells like the forest, just the underlying feeling of running barefooted through thick groups of trees. Remus smells slightly like blood and dust and even that is comforting. 

"I want you safe," says Harry and Sirius and Remus both echo his words in their minds, tightening their hold.  
"No one is safe these days," murmurs Sirius and presses a kiss against his godson’s forehead. Harry doesn’t push him away. 

*

* 

"Harry will be fine," murmurs Remus against Sirius’ back, his arms must be too tight but Sirius isn’t complaining, his breathing coming in short gasps. 

"We’ll be fine." The words sound hollow to Sirius. The radio rattles and gives another list of names of those missing and presumed kidnapped and dead. Sirius tightens his grip around Remus’ wrists- they’ve always been thin, the bones light like a bird’s- and lets out a choked sound, his anger boiling beneath the surface having no outlet. 

(Harry runs through a forest a hundred miles from where they are, dodging curses and giving them back. Run, run, run, his lungs scream. Run.)

* 

* 

"It’s likely they’ll attack the school in the end," says Remus in one of their hiding places, letting his gaze run through the small group of people gathered around him. Sirius is right next to him, refusing to let Remus out of his sight ever since they had let Harry, Ron and Hermione go. 

"It’s unwise to make our move yet, they have gathered quite a protection around Hogwarts," Kingsley Shacklebolt says, his voice rumbling and deep. It’s warm near him, his great stature making them feel protected. 

"It’s not enough to kill Dumbledore, that damned b-" Sirius grits through his teeth, Remus gives his hand a squeeze and Sirius sighs. "That damned Snape seems to be willing to do anything for Voldemort. I don’t like the thought of all the children in there unable to resist. Not to mention we haven’t heard a single peep from Harry in weeks," he continues, keeping Remus’ hand between his own. 

 

"None of us do, I can assure you," says Mrs Weasley sternly. She looks more haggard, terrible sadness settled around her mouth. She thinks of all of her children, Bill sitting next to her with his arm around Fleur’s shoulders, Charlie with his dragons far away and relatively safe, the twins trying to find light in the middle of dark days. Ron, far away, too far away and out of her arms. Ginny, in Hogwarts, doing what she can with the rest of her group. They had affectionately called it Dumbledore’s Army when Harry had been in fifth grade and the name had stayed even if Dumbledore himself had already passed on, his shadow heavy on them. 

* 

* 

When Sirius and Remus finally meet up with Harry, he’s thinner than ever but happy to see them, his back still straight and eyes bright. 

"I think it’s rather useless to ask if you’ve been eating well," says Remus quietly and refuses to let go of Harry for a long time. The warmth of Hogwarts is deceiving around them, its walls ready to scream at them to duck, to hide for they are about to be breached. 

"You don’t look too good either, Moony," Harry murmurs against Remus’ neck, Sirius rubbing his back, his heart painfully tight at the desperate love he feels then. 

Voldemort speaks to them barely a minute later, his voice bouncing off the walls, penetrating their skin and muscle and bone. His red eyes are gleaming at the back of Harry’s mind, ambitious and infinitely power-hungry. 

*

The courtyard is alight with the sound and smell and colour of battle, giants stomping, statues slashing, the spiders climb up and down and clutch their helpless victims in their clutches. Somewhere there, runs Fenrir Greyback and reveals sharp teeth as he notices Remus. Somewhere there, Nymphadora Tonks almost falls victim to the Killing Curse but Remus pushes her out of the way and the curse breaks the head off a gargoyle instead. She shouts her thanks, not stopping to stare at him. It’s okay, anyway. Sirius slips past the fighting as both human and dog, Padfoot’s jaws enough for the spiders and Sirius’ curses enough for the Death Eaters. He would do many things to prevent this.

Far away, the Quidditch field burns and Bellatrix’s gleeful laugh rings in Sirius’ ears. It had been she who had almost killed him in the Ministry two years ago and if Sirius hadn’t already had enough reason to hate his cousing, that had certainly been the crowning moment. There is a student too young to be the proper age waving her wand and sending an adult Death Eater through a window. She’s crying. There is a large spiders dragging the corpse of someone Sirius wishes he wouldn’t know. Where is Harry, where is Harry, his heart thumps.

* 

* 

Remus has to physically hold Sirius back as it dawns to them where Harry is going. It’s an ugly sight, the fear twisting Sirius’ features into a grimace. Harry’s shoulders are shaking as he walks away, having said his goodbyes in hugs and kisses on the cheeks and foreheads. Hermione is clutching Ron closeby, sobbing against his shoulder. 

Harry wipes his face and walks with his back straight, head held high. Sirius crumbles. Remus holds him as they sit down near the doors of the Great Hall, kisses him again and again and cries because Sirius is just gasping for air. 

* 

As Voldemort crumbles to the ground, dying like any old man, mouth still open in a desperate attempt to perhaps shout another Curse. They watch in silence. No one laughs, no one cheers for a second like holding their breath. Sirius and Remus’ arms are tight around Harry who’s still shaking, holding them right back. 

Voldemort doesn’t move anymore, red eyes wide and empty and seeing nothing but the white limbo beneath death. 

They explode into cheers. George Weasley moves close to his mother and wraps his long arms around her, sobbing. He nearly turns to his side to whisper a name of someone no longer there. The Weasleys do join the cheering but they also gather around each other, hands rubbing George’s back, whispering it’s over, it’s okay, Fred would have been so proud- there’s Neville, heralded as one of the heroes for now, his face pale and tired but victorious, shadows beneath him that were never there before but he still grins, reminding all of them that most of these fighters are nothing but kids. Harry makes a face when Remus grabs Sirius into a kiss that no godson should ever see but the happiness that it brings up in Sirius’ face is a sight to see. He slips away to find Luna, to smile at her soft little smile and finally say what he had wanted to say; do you like sundaes? We could have some in Diagon Alley at some point, maybe. If you want. 

"Come on then, Pads," Remus murmurs, the affectionate nickname bringing up memories from being fifteen and invincible. He interwines his and Sirius’ fingers and walks through the crowd to Tonks, her hair now short and bright blue. She’s wiping her eyes and standing next to Kingsley Shacklebolt who doesn’t look any worse except for the scratch on his cheek. Wordlessly she accepts the hug Remus gives him, leaning forward to grab Sirius into one as well. 

"I’m sorry. I should have had my priorities in order," she says quietly to Remus and she looks kind and lovely then, her fierce fire always ready to burst out.  
"You know you have nothing to apologize for, Tonks," Remus says gently. Sirius raises his eyebrows next to them but has to smile then when Tonks scratches her cheek then, like embarrassed.

"Of course not, Remus. And you-" she turns to Sirius, narrowing her eyes. They haven’t really talked, their relationship (what exists) a little strained but her mouth is smiling and so Sirius tilts his head.  
"You take good care of Remus. It’s a wonder he even stands, looking so thin," she says as a way of goodbye and then trots off, but waves her hand as she goes. Kingsley coughs discreetly. Sirius sighs.  
"I do think I’ve taken good care of you for the past decade," he says, grumbling a bit. Remus rubs his back and grins. 

"Indeed," he murmurs and leads him back to the crowd, to the tears and laughter and then through the crowd, to watch as Harry walks with Ron and Hermione on a broken bridge, their heads bowed down as they talk.  
"In the end, it all could have turned out worse," Sirius says then watching as Ron laughs at something and Hermione looks dumbfounded for a second and swats his head but grins then. The trio hugs again and Sirius turns away, giving them their privacy.

"I can’t believe it. He’s truly dead, isn’t he?" Sirius continues and wraps his arms tight around Remus. Remus accepts it with practiced ease, nuzzling his neck.  
"Don’t you feel it, Pads, how much lighter everything feels?" Remus says, pressing a kiss against Sirius’ pulse. Sirius brushes gray and brown strands from Remus’ face and presses a kiss against the scar running through his nose. Of course grief is heavy on their hearts- when is it not- but a great shadow has passed in their world then, Voldemort nothing but a broken old man laying in the middle of the courtyard.


End file.
